Week 10 NBA Rookie Ladder Power Rankings 4. Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
15.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.4 steals
Shooting splits: .383/.314/.849
This is not just about Cade Cunningham finding himself as the first Detroit Piston to enter health and safety protocols. After the initial surge for the number one overall pick with Jerami Grant out of the lineup, Cunningham struggled in his last two games (one of which was this week) before being ruled out.
He shot an abysmal 15.4 percent from the floor against the New York Knicks but was able to add nine points and nine assists to his seven points. While there are currently three players ahead of him, with reasonable health Cunningham still has a chance to ascend. But this rough stretch has hurt him for the time being.
Week 10 NBA Rookie Ladder Power Rankings 3. Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.1 steals
Shooting splits: .441/.355/.811
Given Cunningham’s absence and struggles of late, the continued strong play from Franz Wagner was enough to move him back up to the third spot on the list. He started the week off by helping to lead the Orlando Magic to victory over the Atlanta Hawks with 25 points (albeit on 24 shots), four rebounds, two blocks, one assist, and one steal.
He followed that up with another 20-point performance before ending the week with 13 points. This extended his streak of double-digit scoring games to 16, cementing him further as one of the most consistent performers in the class.